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Irving's Green Neighbor Program

Created by the City of Irving Green Advisory Board, the Green Neighbor Program is designed to foster resident awareness and encourage best practices of an environmentally friendly lifestyle.


This voluntary program encourages residents to evaluate their current practices and determine new ways they can live a greener life.


There are two Green Neighbor checklists to choose from. The first is aimed towards homeowners of single family homes, the second towards those who are renting and/or multifamily.


Set thermostat at 78 degrees or higher in summer and 68 degrees or lower in winter. Have ceiling fans in all major rooms. Have a rooftop solar energy collector. Have at least R-30 attic insulation. Have double or triple glass on windows and doors. Have an air conditioner with an SEER rating of at least 14. Use LED light bulbs throughout the home. Have water-saver toilets. Have flow restrictors on shower heads. Have an energy-saving tankless water heater. Have Energy Star-rated kitchen and laundry appliances. Operate laundry and dishwashing appliances only with full loads. Operate laundry and dishwashing appliances only during nonpeak hours.
Use blue bag recycling Recycle beyond the curbside Compost kitchen and yard waste Limit new purchases and pay attention to the packaging of the items bought Dispose of leaves responsibly (e.g. composting at home using mulch in landscape mulch mowing etc.) Use rake or broom instead of gas powered blowers Mulch rather than bag grass clippings
Have a water-wise landscape. Use mostly native plants and/or beneficial pollinator plants in outdoor landscape. Avoid buying invasive plants Remove if necessary invasive plants Have deciduous preferably native trees on west side of house to block summer sun but allow winter sun. Use rain barrels or other device to collect rain water. Mowing schedule every 10-14 days assuring length of grass and weeds are no more than 10 inches in height per city code Have mulch and/or compost around plants to conserve water. Have a drip irrigation system to water trees and shrubs. Manually turn on sprinkler systems and/or water landscaping only when needed. Taper off plant watering. Plants will adapt to receiving less water. Minimal or no use of chemical fertilizers. Minimal or no use of chemical herbicides. Minimal or no use of chemical insecticides as they kill both good and bad insects. Certify your yard as a National Wildlife Federation habitat. Learn how at www.nwf.org/Garden-For-Wildlife/Certify.aspx. Have a vegetable and/or herb garden and/or fruit and/or nut trees. Grow pollinator plants providing nectar for insect and bird pollination. Grow host plants providing food for butterfly caterpillars.
Commute to work via car pool public transportation walking or bicycling. Usually walk or bicycle on trips of less than one-half mile. Normally drive an electric or hybrid vehicle. Bundle vehicular shopping trips instead of making multiple single purpose shopping trips. Recycle paper plastic metal and glass and use reusable grocery bags. Eat mostly a plant-based diet of fruits vegetables and grains. Donate items no longer needed to charity. Regularly encourage others to adopt environmentally friendly practices. Support a nonprofit that benefits the environment by volunteering and/or donating funds. Adopt a new practice not included on this list.

Office of Environmental Stewardship

Melissa Baker

Transportation Project Manager


M-F, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.


City Hall

825 W. Irving Blvd.

Irving, TX 75060


P: (972) 721-4846

Email